Popery condemned by scripture and the fathers - End Time Deception

250 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
such a convincing proof from the scriptures
themselves. But a view pf the scope of his
reasoning uill show, that he entertained no such
sentiments.
When the disciples of Manes began to publish
his absurdities, they found themselves opposed
by the plain testimonies of ilie scriptures.
It
tlierefore became necessary for them to invaliddate
their authority ;
and this they attempted, by
charging themNAvith falsification and corruption
in those places which opposed their errors, and
also by ridiculing the Church for believing
without reason ; whereas they were ready to
assign a reason for every doctrine, which they
proposed for belief*. To these charges St.
Augustine replied,
'*
That if such sentiments
" were allowed, the divine authority of any
" books must be entirely useless for the con-
*'
demnation of errors. It would,'* says he,
" be much more consistent to reject the scrip-
*'
tures entirely like the pagans, or the New
*'
Testament with the Jew^s, than to acknow-
'*
ledge in general the divinity of the books,
'
and yet reject these passages which opposed
" their opinions. If there were any suspi-
''-
cion of corruption, they ought to produce
''
m.ore ancient and truer copies than what the
*
" Church possessed f.'* To show the absurdity
of thc^ir conduct, he proceeds to take them
upon
* Ccr,. Faust, Lib. ii. c. 2. f Id. ibid.